I have loved all games in the hitman series and i wanted to love absolution just as much and honestly it was a great game. However the thing that turned me away from it the MOST was the fact that in a disguise you were still able to be spotted. I understand you would know if you had some new guy in the squad but it made it not fun at all for me. The way it was in blood money was perfect. no one knows your not who you look like unless you do things to make them second guess you. you could change everything in the new game and it still would not be great unless that's switched over. Its not much fun being rushed to move past someone instead of taking a tactical rout and setting a trap. The most fun i have in hitman games is being in disguise and sneaking around. Taking out that new guard for his uniform so your able to walk into the new area etc.

So if you could somehow address the way disguises will work in the new one that would be AWESOME. I know its a bit of a rant but felt i had to put my thoughts in. thanks for reading :P

-O

S3R6i0

17th Jan 2014, 21:25

I think the disguise system from Contracts to everything before it was the perfect balance between the anal system in Absolution and the liberal system in Blood Money. You can bypass another security guard or chef provided you don't hang around him too long. The problem with Absolution is that once your Instinct is gone you're done, you need to remain out of sight. As much as I loved maneuvering under uniform there were some moments that took me out of the game, like when 47 is doing a hit in, say, Japan or the Middle East and he could easily disguise himself as a pasty, blue eyed white surrounded by a bunch of brown people. I think the disguise system should be determined by the global location as well as the nature of enemy forces, i.e., rent-a-cop's and maintenance personnel, lenient. Secret service and and more elite security personnel, tighter access. If I'm not mistaken, Silent Assassin was like that. Also, a dynamic system like that would aid to change the pace.

nomotog

17th Jan 2014, 21:49

The disguise system in absolution was the main reason it didn't really work as a hitman game. I don't know if the idea is inherently flawed, but it sure worked poorly in absolution.

S3R6i0

18th Jan 2014, 03:25

The disguise system in absolution was the main reason it didn't really work as a hitman game. I don't know if the idea is inherently flawed, but it sure worked poorly in absolution.

IDK about the "main reason", but a contributor nonetheless. It was the gameplay, the linear missions and the focus of escape from killing people, the one-man-army or as Square Enix put it "magic pockets", the replacement of game saves with badly designed checkpoints, the list goes on and on. Because the game was about evasion, the disguise system made sense, the whole game in general was just a giant flaw. Would've been okay if it wasn't a Hitman successor.

nomotog

18th Jan 2014, 04:22

IDK about the "main reason", but a contributor nonetheless. It was the gameplay, the linear missions and the focus of escape from killing people, the one-man-army or as Square Enix put it "magic pockets", the replacement of game saves with badly designed checkpoints, the list goes on and on. Because the game was about evasion, the disguise system made sense, the whole game in general was just a giant flaw. Would've been okay if it wasn't a Hitman successor.

It would have made a nice splinter cell game and that was my problem with absolution. All the stealth seemed to revolve around cover because your disguise can be seen through so quickly and easily.

Onryo21

18th Jan 2014, 09:25

yeah that's what im saying. it just took me out at moments where i was having fun then bam i literally cant be seen anymore even from a distance because they know its me magically. there needs to be a new system i think that blends it. being caught is possible but there are ways to get away from it or that like in the other games you are able to be found out by certain people but there's a way around that guy and people inside don't know you snuck around the bouncer etc. disguises were one of my favorite things and they took those away i feel. and i actually did like the story but at the same time it was more like we know hes coming get ready for him. where i like going in as an unknown and having endless possibilities. i agree that much more was at fault but this is the main one to me. i just want to know what direction they are heading as far as disguises.

Derangedxzombie

18th Jan 2014, 12:16

Yes please revert the disguise system back to original Hitman games! Absolution was a nice idea but broken, someone could suss you from seeing your back as you turn at the end of a long hallway..
Is so much more enjoyable as a player to have the freedom to walk around and plan, a reward for getting a disguise and hiding the body! In Hitman 2 - blood money you could still be spotted if in an area way out of your disguises league but not in every area no matter what.

EternalDragon

18th Jan 2014, 18:53

I think the disguises need some work.

But i think its good that somebody in a squad would know you are not part of the team, even if you have their uniform on.

Or maby they could say hey are you the new guy and you have a chance to convince them.

Or sometimes they instinctively know you are wearing the sergeants outfit you must of stolen it/killed Him

MrAtmea

18th Jan 2014, 22:31

Maybe if only one NPC could recognize you, like a building manager, police sergeant, SWAT team leader, the target etc when you are in disguise.

Imo that would make things more believable, while still holding on to the free roaming aspect I missed in Absolution.

This would mean not having to hide behind cover all the time, which to be honest kinda sucked. It got annoying.

Soleil

19th Jan 2014, 00:55

The disguise system, as nearly everything, was best in Blood Money - 'nuff said.

XylophoneDealers

19th Jan 2014, 12:41

I personally thought that the Disguise system was excellent and that it was a more "realistic" approach to what a disguise would be.

Onryo21

20th Jan 2014, 06:53

well i do think that it makes sense that people see you and are like wtf... i havent worked with that guy when did he get here. but not every person would. maybe if he went to go ask a leader like hey did we hire this guy then lead him over to look at you and you can use that as an advantage to get around bigger foes etc. lots of ways it could work just hope its done right.

123

26th Jan 2014, 22:37

Absolution's Disguise system wasn't perfect but its one of the few areas where they were on the right track. People of the same outfit being able to see through your disguise makes sense because you can't disguise yourself as someone I know. But if you look close enough like them and are far away from them and they can't see your face then maybe you can fool them for a second.

So some disguises would be safe while others would be unsafe. Each disguise would get a grade from an A to a F and it would change based on the situation.

S3R6i0

27th Jan 2014, 01:07

Absolution's Disguise system wasn't perfect but its one of the few areas where they were on the right track. People of the same outfit being able to see through your disguise makes sense because you can't disguise yourself as someone I know. But if you look close enough like them and are far away from them and they can't see your face then maybe you can fool them for a second.

So some disguises would be safe while others would be unsafe. Each disguise would get a grade from an A to a F and it would change based on the situation.

I was thinking the same thing. I think it's always been the developers goal to make disguises as realistic as possible. In Blood Money, you could blend into almost any situation as long as you have a disguise, until you arouse enough suspicion and people suddenly start shooting at you. In Silent Assassin, your cover would be blown if you hung around a guard for too long, otherwise you were fine as long as you kept moving. I don't think the intent was ever to make a disguise an all-access pass. I don't think the disguise system in Absolution was bad, I think the game as a whole was just too "out there" wasn't very good and so people didn't really understand what they were trying to do. Also, people forget that there were lots of "hide" markers where you could regenerate Instinct. I think people like the disguises in Blood Money because it gave the game a "Day of the Jackal" type feel of guy who applied makeup and a fake mustache to get by unnoticed. But it wasn't very realistic.

I think the disguise system in Absolution was good, but I think it needs to vary and depend on the situation. For example, as a construction worker inside a building, you should be able to blend in a "new guy" unless a foreman sees you. In reality, other construction workers aren't gonna go running to security. On the other hand, if your target is inside a mansion with a team of executive security guards, they should be able to know that you're not one of them. I think implementing a "common sense" system to the game's engine would apply here.

The problem with Absolution wasn't the disguises really, it was just the game.

BL47E

27th Jan 2014, 23:24

Any of u guys read the book Enemy within??? There were moments when the author described 47s disguises and how he got into a character. for example he was this fat guy, who had beard, and for fatness he used this thing they use in theaters around his torso made out of silicone but that made him less agile, that would be good.. also once in a book he was this music label record producer, he had a henna tattoo and he was swearing alot and he was talking in a popular music lingo! so i think depends on a disguise, the way 47 walk/talk/act should be affected.

ps. i completed absolution and got every challenge, but im completing it again suit only., cuz i love the fact that i dont HAVE to wear a disguise...be more sneaky.

mikom

31st Jan 2014, 16:56

I agree with Onryo21, you should have been able to say something when they got suspicious. Say some excuse to them. They go to their boss to verify the information and then the disguise is blown. With that you still get some time to get away, but you cant continue using that disguise.

SonOfSparda

31st Jan 2014, 20:45

Ill add my two cents into this. This kind of disguise would have been OK with minor tweaks like only few characters do have relationship across their ranks and you could tell who by going around and listening what they talk about and stuff. For example:
You visit small hotel with like 25 employees. It's obvious that they know each other so your only chance is to get disguise of someone who is "new" or just temporary (guest, policemen etc.). In a big hotel, only colleagues know each other (not everyone just in the same area), and someone whos is in close relationship and does not belong to that staff (Receptionist +janitors/chefs/maids etc), but to asume that every member of the kidnappers does know everyone and can straight tell you don't belong here until it's really obvious, was bad idea. (I am sorrry, but the only one example which came on my mind was disguise of a black pizza guy sneaking in a KKK clan :D).

If I take for example Library level from Abs, IF it was like shown on E3, it would be too easy, but with slight tweak it could be well made! For example - You took disguise from the first group (1st checkpoint), and you meat head of this crew - your cover was blown, hell even if you try to trick a patrol teammate he could tell, but assuming that 50 cops know everyone in team assigned for this mission was ridiculous, whole Boston police department was out, there is no way they would know everyone. All we needed was to hear isntead of "hey you, check that spot!" -> "Hey Roy can you check that spot, did you see Joey and Rob somewhere around?" "Yeah, they are in the 2nd area" With this we would knew that that one will know immediately it's not Roy but 47, and that If we took that suit and there were only 4 possible people to go out of this area - 47's busted. Like that ganja guy from gang and his partner (if they were not masked).

mikom

31st Jan 2014, 21:13

Blood Money is the game I've played the most and I think they did it good there. With the added thing to have some way to give an excuse to buy time if spotted. For example I recently played flatline and got admitted to the rehab, changed into robe and just scoped the layout in the place. I then accidently opened the door out again and went out a little bit, and then quickly went back in again. The thing is there's a guard there who needs to check everyones pockets before getting in, but just that fact that I went beside him and then backed away made him start shooting straight away. Things like that should be avoided. Have some option to make up an excuse if you go into a place you cant be, so you then can back off.

merlinm

23rd Feb 2014, 17:14

Hi all. I agree with a lot of your comments.

How about this concept I'm about to suggest?

Perhaps the idea of the complex instinct bar and recognition mechanism was born because they wanted to add more FUN to the disguise system.

In another thread about disguises I suggested other ways of making the disguise experience more engaging than old-Hitman games but less limiting than Absolution. Here they go:

1) Conversation Membership
instead of just gaining the physical membership (being able to enter new areas, etc.) you can also talk and dig out more information from members of your outfit, or talk to certain specific other outfit members. This way you can gain critical information on the target, or a side mission, or collectibles.

2) Recognition based on how well you play your part:
In Absolution, you were constantly suspected by your fellow peers, a "distraction spot" was the only thing that could save you (e.g. you pretend to read a brochure etc.). What if we first tune down this system. Perhaps a fellow officer only starts suspecting when you stand too close to them or become too isolated? This means only seldom you'll need to be aware of your behavior, not constantly, which means you can explore more easily.

But that's not enough, in Absolution when your instinct is gone, you're done for as some have commented here. So how about replacing this with a Heavy Rain type of quick multiple option context menu? Example, if I'm a cop, and another cop is looking at me, I may be given a set of actions to do in a given time, after which the options disappear. Out of the options only 1 is the correct answer.

If I choose the right one, the action will be done and the suspecting officer will forget about me. If I choose the wrong one, officer may approach me. in which case I need to improvise, either walk away, or participate in a secondary puzzle task (I don't know what this might be), after which, if I screw it up, I'll be found out.

This makes sure you're chances for exploration are not compromised, for as long as you are good at playing your part!

BridgetFisher

24th Feb 2014, 12:37

I hated how broken the disguise system was in Absolution, if they hate that hitman wears disguises why not just remove them from the game.